The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1887-05-13
A SuMMERLESS LAND.
Mexico and Her Great, Flat, Even Tenn
pered Table Land.
ICnocial notrocr,ondonno

Especial correspondence
HOTEL ITURBIDE,
City of Mexico, April 90.
Up to the year 1884 those who knew and
those who did not know agreed in not recon-
mending tour to the paris OF America"
the weird City of Mexico, in the spring or
summer. The average Yankee thought of
the far south in summer as mixture of ex-
ternal heat and internal fever. The
American colony at the American Paris
know that this is true of the TERRA
caliente, or hot lands of the coast,
which had then to be traversed to gain the
capital, lying in the TERRA fria, or cold lands;
unless, indeed, the tourist intended to enter
over the Rio Grande and go over the whole
length of the country by stage. Now, the
Mexican diligence was never inviting, and
the oddness of seeing the drivers assistant
pound the mules with stones was poor COM
pensation for starting at 8 o'clock in the
morning, to reach nothing more inviting
after the days fatigue than the inconvenient
squalor of the next hotel diligencias.
On that tremendous table land, the fat top
of the most enormous mountain on the globe,
where the great cities of Mexico are situated,
there is no summer. At the City of Mexico
the temperature never goes above 20 degs. at
any period cf the entire year. Woolen un-
der clothing is worn all the year round, and
blanket wherewith to supplement his over
coat is essential to the tourists comfort And
now, since March s, 1884, to this wintry city
Of the tropics-being 7,347 feet above the sea
level-goes an American railroad built all the
way OH the great plateau, giving the traveller
constant picnic at an altitude higher than
the SUBMITS of some of the Alps.
The barriers are broken and nothing re-
mains to keep the most fastidious lady, the
most delicate invalid, from visiting. winter
or summer, the "Italy of the Occident-glori-
Gus, CORY Mexico" Since all the conductors
and trainmen are Americans, and the proprie-
tors Of the best hotels and restaurants are
American or French, while our own ne
groes have turned hack drivers in Mexico,
even the Spanish language is not at all essen-
tial in this New SPAIN"
The Hotel Iturbide is named from the COM
bination of hberator. emperor and victim,
whose palatial residence it was. Its restaur-
ant, under French proprietor, is excellent,
but not cheap, though one should remember
in connection with the prices that Mexican
dollar is bought for eighty-five Of our cents.
1t is constant source of surprise and won
der that the largest and finest gallery of
paintings on the western continent is here on
the site of the Aztec Venice To see priceless
works Of the European "old masters"-Muril-
10, Rubens, Corregio, Velasquez, etc.-we
need not cross the ocean; here they are in
close proximity to such indigenous outgrowths
of religion as the Sacriicial rock, on which
more than 60, 600 living human beings we're
inundated by piercing the breast with a razor
Of volcanic glass and tearing out the still
beating heart to throw at the feet of the god.
It is very hard for us to realize cannibalism,
yet these victims were actually cooked and
eaten.
The unmixed descendants of these canni-
balls still swarm about us in this city OF mora
than 225, 600 inhabitants, for everywhere in
Mexico the natives without the slightest ad-
mixture of European blood, are vastly in the
majority.
The greatest Mexican who ever lived,
Benito Juarez, was a pure Tzapotec, a race
ruled both temporarily and spiritually by an
Indian pope infallible and sacred. Thus the
rule which succeeded them, that Of our popes
of Rome, was finally broken by one of thor
hereditary subjects.
The man who started as a revolutionist
against Juarez, and who now runs all Mexico,
Porfirio Diaz, is a Mestizo, as the mixed race
from whites and natives are called. But per-
haps the pleasantest way to get an idea of the
three great castles is from the women. AS
typical of the whites, look first at this sweet
young lady in the rich black silk
dress, perfect Spanish creole Why!
you exclaim, she is out without her
hat! Yes, but in all probability she
never had one. That costly bit of black
lace, her mantilla goes witchingly over her
lustrous black hair, is far more romantic than
any hat, and gives you feminine hint of the
luscious quality of the climate. Note, if you
can, the world famed Andalusian foot and
ankle. A highly educated western girl told
me that her classniate could not find in oil
Monterey, city of 40, 900 inhabitants, a shoe
large enough for her to wear. A glance at
this young creole may hint the explanation.
If Chinese women were Spanish their feet
would not be bandaged.
The creoles i'm Mexico seem far whittier than
the women in Spain, and have more del
icate look, as Of tropic fruit. Notice the rich,
pouting lips of this little lady, her sparkling
eyes and airy grace. That she can play,
dance and sing like siren goes without say
ing The pure, soft, Spanish vowels leave
slowly that sweetest mouth.
Inyountarily you think Of guitars, trouba-
dors, mandolin, serenade, love, jealousy, pom
lard, stiletto. A new light permeates the
heavy iron bars covering every window, and
making every house resemble lunatic asy-
lunl.
You determine all at once to learn Spanish
and marry creole. But here comes high
official, Mestizo, and with him his lovely
daughter. The white skin of the creole
takes here a richer hue-more blood and more
flesh of that satin fineness which we only see
in babies we want to bite, they seem SO
healthy and pure This blending OF the east
and west gives here solid fairy, plump and
strong, enjoying life through very perfection
of life, capable of work and sweet content
ment This particular fairy wears hat, for
which / am sorry-sorry to see the dull
monotony of Paris fashions pushing with the
railroad into this sweeter fairyland. A So
ciety has written pleadingly to the Mexican
government from Switzerland, begging it to
save the rarer species OF cactus from extinc-
tion. wish they had included in their
prayer the charming national costumes.
Though certainly solid, and not tall, this girl
is very lovely, with her energetic step, quick,
intelligent glance, and practical air of ac-
complishment.
But there are plenty of homely women in
Mexico, and the pure native, whom most
wish I could describe, cannot be called
typical. She is the handsomest person
have seen in Mexico. Tall, while the
nation is short; regal, where many seem
marked by ages of oppression; proud, with
instructive grace. she is certainly descended
from some princely family of the time of
Montezuma. Most of the Indian women
have a tint Of yellow in their coloring, hut
this unknown princess is pure red and white
Her mouth turns up at the corners in the
manner striven after by painters. Her man
ners have all that repose that marks the caste
of We're de We're i am peculiarly impressed
by splendid yigor of physical life, such as
Went with kingship in Arthur, Rollo and
Ricliar,i Coeur de Lion. This firm, sweet,
royal strength could nurse a yellow fever
patient unh1rt, No tubereular bacillus could
make lodgnient in this perfect life. Fine
health IS aristocratic This Mexican princess
has the same sort of nobility. know not
her name, but the predecessors OF the Aztecs
were the Totes and / viii. call her Tolta.
81 GEORGE BRUCE HALsTEAD.